"You're a cotton headed ninny muggins!" Odette accuses.

She's not even teasing me. She's flustered. And she chooses to use "cotton headed ninny muggins."

For these reasons I can't stifle the chuckles pushing their way out of me. Odette flings her head around to face me just as she enters the doorway of our little shack.

"You think I'm joking?" she rages.

I can practically feel Jillian behind me taking in a deep breath to try to keep herself from laughing.

I clear my throat to try to avoid angering her any further with my own laughter.

"You did use 'cotton headed ninny muggins' as an insult to me. And you were dead serious."

Odette continues to glare daggers into me. But I can see her gaze slowly softening, whether she wants it to or not. Soon she's flinging her hair over her face to try to hide the fact that her it is turning the same red color.

With a whip of her hair back over her head she laughs, "Yeah. I'm a pretty weird idiot myself, I suppose." She sighs, and then her face suddenly hardens into a scowl again as she remembers she's annoyed. Jabbing her finger onto my chest she says, "That doesn't get rid of the fact that you are idiotic too."

Jillian can't contain herself anymore and with a sputter, she falls into a fit of giggles. "I'm sorry," she sputters. "I'm sorry but you two are even cute in a fight."

Odette smiles. You can't keep her angry for long. She's still annoyed but now her focus is on Jillian. She finally gets her finger off my chest, rolling her eyes in Jillian's direction before turning in and getting fully inside the shack.

"Oh, shut up." Then to me, "I'm not done talking to you, by the way."

"Calm down! So I forgot you spoke sign language," I admit.

"Yeah. And sat awkwardly with the poor girl who couldn't hear a word; didn't get the chance to know anyone. Heck, she probably isn't learning much at school. Do the teachers even know? Why didn't you come get me? I don't know enough sign language but I could at least have asked her her name or something," Odette rants.

"I'm sorry," I say cause I don't know what else to.

"You seemed pretty busy with the boy you were already with," Jillian points out.

Odette shoots her a glare. "Chris could've taken over with him." She looks over at me again. "Tomorrow, we have to talk to the teachers. The poor girl can't hear a thing!" Odette exclaims. She looks about ready to launch into a twenty minute speech, either about every child getting an education or about my stupidity. So I walk up and put a hand on her arm to calm her.

"Ok, Odette. You're going to be ok."

I feel her relax a little under my touch. She throws her arms up and let's them drop down, slapping her thighs. "I just..." she sighs. "Sorry. I'm not really mad at you. Just at... The world I guess." She laughs a little to try and ease the tension.

I drop my hand and stick it in the pocket of my jeans. "You just freak out to easily," I say, a hint of teasing in my voice.

She smirks at me and punching me in the shoulder. "Yooouuu don't freak out enough," she taunts playfully.

I shrug. "I just don't show my emotions like you."

She smirks again, but doesn't deny it. Jillian, who's been dead silent until now, laughs like an idiot. I know she's pairing Odette and I in her mind again and it's getting old. Odette shoots her a glare and Jillian holds up her hands and backs up slightly.

"I'm not here. As you were," she teases.

And she turns around and heads outside the house.

"Well. She's determined to make us a couple," I laugh.

Odette rolls her eyes and shoves her hands in her pockets. "Ignore her. You know she's a hopeless romantic."

"Yeah, I know."

Odette stares off into space for a few moments, her mind anywhere but where she physically is. She runs her hand through her thick hair and I notice a few tears glistening in her eyes.

"Hey..." I start.

"Leave me alone," she grunts turning away from me.

"Odette..."

"I'm just an emotional wreck, remember???"

My eyes go wide. "Odette, you know I didn't mean-"

"Oh shut up, I know you didn't," she laughs and cries all at the same time. She turns on her heels and faces me again. The tears have escaped her eyes.

I lick my lips. "You ok?" I ask.

She chuckles sadly again. "Yeah I'm fine."

"Obviously," I reply with subtle sarcasm.

She kicks me in the shin.

"Hey!" I laugh.

"You're avoiding the question by kicking me," I half-tease.

"Oh shut up!" she laughs. Then she gets serious again. "I'm fine, Chris," she attempts to reassure me. "Just thinking. Really."

I bite my lip and shrug, giving up for now. I didn't want to let the matter drop if Odette is hurting badly but honestly, if Odette doesn't want to talk, she will not talk.

I can, however, guess what she's upset about.

"Don't worry about the girl, Odette," I say.

"Quit reading my mind," she scoffs her ever playful smile returning to her lips.

I chuckle and pull her into a hug. "She'll be ok. You'll see. We'll help her. You'll see. That's why we're here."

She buries her head in my chest and nods.

What nobody told me is that it wouldn't be that easy.

At all.